On this episode of Beyond the Stride, Colton Sands joins us as him and his UNC teammates prepare for the NCAA XC Championships! Sands talks about leading a younger roster, building team consistency and the lessons learned from past teammates, including training alongside star runners Ethan Strand and Parker Wolfe. The Tar Heel veteran also shares how the mentorship of Coach Chris Miltenberg has shaped both his running and personal growth. Looking ahead, Sands discusses his goals for the NCAA XC Championships, including chasing All-American honors and what success looks like for the team. He also previews the upcoming track season and his long-term aspirations, offering insight into the mindset, preparation and dedication required to compete at the highest level in NCAA distance running. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:55 Qualifying for NCAA XC 1:50 Filling in Wolfe/Strand gaps 3:08 Breakout year 4:20 2025 XC season 5:20 Racing w/ Tomer Tarragano 6:30 Learning from Wolfe & Strand 7:55 Stepping into leadership role 10:09 Coach Chris Miltenberg 11:53 Training & living in Chapel Hill 12:53 Who's stepped up on the team 13:58 Lessons learned at UNC 15:11 Goals for NCAA XC Championships 16:43 Goals for indoor track season 🗣️ Hosted by Lauren Cawley Be sure to like/follow/subscribe/comment on all of podcast platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube! You can find our other episodes there as well.

New Mexico sophomore star, Pamela Kosgei, has signed an NIL deal with Hoka. The double NCAA outdoor champion, who boasts titles over 5000 meters and 10,000 meters, has continued her incredible momentum from her freshman collegiate year into the cross country season. Coming off of the World Championships in Tokyo where she represented Kenya in the 3000-meter steeplechase, Kosgei got a late start to her 2025 fall campaign. Even so, she will be viewed as a threat for the NCAA individual cross country title this coming Saturday at the NCAA XC Championships. Kosgei's freshman year as a Lobo was remarkable, claiming multiple NCAA all-time marks, including the NCAA #2 all-time performance over 10,000 meters when she ran 31:02.73 at Sound Running's "The TEN" meet. The New Mexico phenom also produced an NCAA #2 all-time effort for the outdoor 5000 meters by running 14:52.45 at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Prior to that, at the Stanford Invite, Kosgei ran posted what is now NCAA #3 all-time mark of 9:15.93 in the 3000-meter steeplechase. Prior to Kosgei dominating the oval with all-time marks, the Lobo sensation ran her way to an individual runner-up finish at the NCAA XC Championships last fall. Total, Kosgei secured five All-American finishes in her first year of NCAA competition, with four of these accolades coming from top-three finishes across a range of events.

Written by Aimee Morganti, edits & additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin Earlier today,   the NCAA released   the following teams that have qualified for the 2025 NCAA D3 XC Championships which will take place in six days from now. Below, we have listed out each team that will be advancing to the "Big Dance" in Spartanburg, South Carolina later this month. Please note that when you see the "AQ" next to a team's name, that means that they finished at the top of their regional meet and therefore earned an automatic national qualifying spot. Men's Qualified Teams Amherst  Mammoths Carnegie Mellon Tartans Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags Colby White Mules Colorado College Tigers Hope Flying Dutchmen (AQ) Johns Hopkins Blue Jays (AQ) Lebanon Valley Flying Dutchmen Loras Duhawks Lychburg Hornets Middlebury Panthers MIT Engineers (AQ) NYU Violets North Central (IL) Cardinals Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens (AQ) Rose-Hulman Fightin' Engineers RPI Engineers (AQ) St. Olaf Oles SUNY Geneseo Knights (AQ) TCNJ Lions (AQ) Tufts Jumbos University of Chicago Maroons Wartburg Knights (AQ) Washington and Lee Generals (AQ) Washington U. (MO) Bears Wesleyan (CT) Cardinals Williams Ephs UW-Eau Claire Blugolds UW-La Crosse Eagles (AQ) UW-Platteville Pioneers UW-Stevens Point Pointers UW-Whitewater Warhawks Women's Qualified Teams Amherst  Mammoths Bowdoin Polar Bears Brandeis Judges Calvin Knights Carleton Knights Carnegie Mellon Tartans Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Athenas (AQ) Colorado College Tigers Connecticut College Camels Emory Eagles (AQ) Hope Flying Dutchmen Johns Hopkins Blue Jays (AQ) Middlebury Panthers MIT Engineers NYU Violets (AQ) Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens St. Olaf Oles Suffolk Rams SUNY Geneseo Knights Swarthmore Garnet (AQ) Trine Thunder (AQ) Trinity (TX) Tigers Tufts Jumbos (AQ) UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs University of Chicago Maroons Vassar Brewers Wartburg Knights Washington and Lee Generals Washington U. (MO) Bears (AQ) Williams Ephs (AQ) UW-Eau Claire Blugolds UW-La Crosse Eagles (AQ)

Written by Aimee Morganti, edits & additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin Earlier today,  the NCAA released   the following teams that have qualified for the 2025 NCAA D1 XC Championships which will transpire in one week's time. Below, we have listed out each team that will be advancing to the "Big Dance" in Columbia, Missouri later this month. Please note that when you see the "AQ" next to a team's name, that means that they finished in the top-two of their regional meet and therefore earned an automatic national qualifying spot. Men's Qualified Teams Air Force Falcons Alabama Crimson Tide (AQ) Arkansas Razorbacks (AQ) Butler Bulldogs (AQ) BYU Cougars (AQ) California Baptist Lancers (AQ) Colorado Buffaloes Eastern Kentucky Colonels (AQ) Georgetown Hoyas (AQ) Georgia Bulldogs Harvard Crimson Iona Gaels (AQ) Iowa State Cyclones (AQ) Louisville Cardinals Michigan Wolverines Michigan State Spartans New Mexico Lobos (AQ) North Carolina Tar Heels Northern Arizona Lumberjacks Notre Dame Fighting Irish (AQ) Oklahoma State Cowboys (AQ) Oklahoma Sooners Ole Miss Rebels (AQ) Oregon Ducks (AQ) Princeton Tigers (AQ) Syracuse Orange (AQ) Tulane Green Wave (AQ) Virginia Cavaliers Virginia Tech Hokies Wake Forest Demon Deacons (AQ) Washington State Cougars Wisconsin Badgers Women's Qualified Teams Alabama Crimson Tide Boise State Broncos Boston College Eagles (AQ) BYU Cougars (AQ) Colorado Buffaloes Florida Gators (AQ) Georgetown Hoyas (AQ) Iowa State Cyclones LSU Tigers (AQ) Missouri Tigers NC State Wolfpack (AQ) New Mexico Lobos (AQ) North Carolina Tar Heels Northern Arizona Lumberjacks Northwestern Wildcats (AQ) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (AQ) Oklahoma State Cowgirls (AQ) Oregon Ducks (AQ) Penn State Nittany Lions Providence Friars (AQ) South Carolina Gamecocks (AQ) Stanford Cardinals (AQ) Tennessee Volunteers (AQ) Texas A&M Aggies (AQ) Utah Utes Villanova Wildcats Virginia Cavaliers Wake Forest Demon Deacons Washington Huskies Washington State Cougars West Virginia Mountaineers (AQ) Wisconsin Badgers (AQ)